Model Law on Legal Aid in Criminal Justice Systems with Commentaries Cover image ©Photodisc.com UNITED NATIONS OFFICE ON DRUGS AND CRIME Model Law on Legal Aid in Criminal Justice Systems with Commentaries UNITED NATIONS Vienna, 2017 Note Symbols of United Nations documents are composed of letters combined with f gures. Mention of such symbols indicates a reference to a United Nations document. © United Nations, March 2017. All rights reserved, worldwide. The designations employed and the presentation of material in this publication do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the Secretariat of the United Nations concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or area, or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries. Publishing production: English, Publishing and Library Section, United Nations Office at Vienna. ii Acknowledgements The present Model Law on Legal Aid in Criminal Justice Systems with C ommentaries was developed by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC). Initial consultation on legal aid legislation took place in Siracusa, Italy, on 17 and 18 December 2014, at the “International Workshop on Legislative Drafting: Legal Aid and Legal Texts”, generously hosted by the International Institute of Higher Studies in Criminal Sciences. The draft Model Law was prepared for UNODC by Mohamed Y. Mattar, Clinical Professor of Law at Qatar University College of Law and Executive Director of the Protection Project, a not-for-proft human rights research and training institute located in Washington, D.C., and Marina Elefante, Director of Rule of Law Programs at the Protection Project, as consultants. The draft Model Law was reviewed and discussed at an expert group meeting held in Vienna from 1 to 3 June 2015. UNODC wishes to acknowledge the thoughtful comments and suggestions of the following experts who participated in that meeting: Ana Aguilar, Amadeu Alves de Carvalho Júnior, Patrick Burgess, Ed Cape, Leah Garabedian, Robert Husbands, Guo Jie, Maha Jweied, Myriam Khaldi, Nicolás Laino, René Magloire, Mohammad Mansouri Boroujeni, David McQuoid-Mason, Swati Mehta, Dunstan Mlambo, Zaza Namoradze, Minh Thi Nguyen, Amy Sakho, Pitikan Sitthidej, Jennifer Smith, Bachir Talf Idrissa and Andriy Vyshnevsky. The draft Model Law also benefted from the written comments of Persida Acosta, Rosemary Chikwendu, Madhurima Dhanuka, Isadora Fingermann, Alison Hannah, Stanley Ibe, Ajay Shankar Jha “Rupesh”, Werner Krull, Alvon Kurnia Palma, Christine Nanjala, Ifeoma Ojemeni Okali, Mathilde Renault and Thomas Speedy Rice. The following UNODC staff contributed to the development of the Model Law: Miri Sharon, Anika Holterhof, Valérie Lebaux, Jee Aei (Jamie) Lee, Veronic Wright, Minh Nguyen, Astrid Saraiva Leao and Victoriya Zhun. UNODC also wishes to thank the numerous experts who provided copies of their national laws on legal aid, many of which are referenced in the commentaries to the Model Law. iii Contents Acknowledgements ............................................................... iii Introduction ...................................................................... 1 Part I. Model Law on Legal Aid in Criminal Justice Systems Preamble .................................................................... 7 Chapter 1. Purpose, definitions and scope of application ............................ 9 Article 1. Title ............................................................ 9 Article 2. Purpose ........................................................ 9 Article 3. Defnitions ..................................................... 9 Article 4. Scope of application ............................................. 11 Chapter 2. Guiding principles .................................................. 13 Article 5. Non-discrimination ............................................. 13 Article 6. Right to information ............................................ 13 Article 7. Protection of vulnerable persons ................................ 13 Article 8. Right to early access to legal aid .................................. 14 Article 9. Equal right to defence for legal aid benefciaries .................. 14 Article 10. Principles of interpretation ...................................... 14 Chapter 3. Legal aid beneficiaries and legal aid providers ........................... 15 Article 11. Types of legal aid ............................................... 15 Article 12. Rights of legal aid benefciaries ................................... 15 Article 13. Legal aid providers .............................................. 16 Article 14. Legal practitioners [Attorneys and advocates] ...................... 16 Article 15. Non-governmental organizations, community-based organizations and faith-based organizations ...................... 16 Article 16. Law clinics ...................................................... 17 Article 17. Paralegals ....................................................... 18 Article 18. Intermediaries .................................................. 19 Article 19. Obligations of the State to ensure effective provision of services by legal aid providers ................................. 20 Article 20. Duties of legal aid providers ..................................... 20 Article 21. Remuneration of legal aid providers .............................. 21 Chapter 4. The Legal Aid Authority ............................................. 23 Article 22. Establishment of the Legal Aid Authority ......................... 23 Article 23. Structure of the Legal Aid Authority ............................. 23 v Article 24. Tenure of office of members of the Board of the Legal Aid Authority ....................................... 24 Article 25. Independence of the Legal Aid Authority ......................... 24 Article 26. Functions of the Legal Aid Authority ............................. 24 Article 27. Accreditation of legal aid providers ............................... 27 Article 28. Code of conduct for legal aid providers ........................... 28 Article 29. Reporting requirements ......................................... 28 Chapter 5. Procedures ....................................................... 29 Article 30. Early access to legal aid for individuals in custody ................. 29 Article 31. Legal aid application ............................................ 29 Article 32. Proceedings in court ............................................ 30 Article 33. Means test ...................................................... 30 Article 34. Determination of eligibility ...................................... 31 Article 35. Legal aid certifcate .............................................. 32 Article 36. Choice of legal aid provider ...................................... 33 Article 37. Conflict of interest .............................................. 33 Article 38. Suspension and termination of legal aid .......................... 34 Article 39. Change of legal aid provider ..................................... 34 Chapter 6. Financial provisions ................................................ 35 Article 40. Legal Aid Fund. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35 Article 41. Budget .......................................................... 35 Article 42. Exemption from court costs ..................................... 36 Chapter 7. Rules and regulations ............................................... 37 Article 43. Regulating authority ............................................ 37 Article 44. Legal aid regulations ............................................ 37 Chapter 8. Final provisions .................................................... 39 Article 45. Commencement ................................................ 39 Article 46. Offences ........................................................ 39 Article 47. Remedies ....................................................... 39 Article 48. Transitional provisions .......................................... 40 vi Part II. Commentaries to the Model Law on Legal Aid in Criminal Justice Systems Preamble .................................................................... 43 Chapter 1. Purpose, definitions and scope of application ............................ 45 Article 1. Title ............................................................ 45 Article 2. Purpose ........................................................ 45 Article 3. Defnitions ..................................................... 48 Article 4. Scope of application ............................................ 51 Chapter 2. Guiding principles .................................................. 61 Article 5. Non-discrimination ............................................. 61 Article 6. Right to information ............................................ 63 Article 7. Protection of vulnerable persons ................................. 69 Article 8. Right to early access to legal aid .................................. 72 Article 9. Equal right to defence for legal aid benefciaries ................... 72 Article 10. Principles of interpretation ...................................... 73 Chapter 3. Legal aid beneficiaries and legal aid providers ........................... 75 Article 11. Types of legal aid ................................................ 75 Article 12. Rights of legal aid benefciaries ................................... 81 Article 13. Legal aid providers .............................................. 81 Article 14. Legal practitioners [Attorneys and advocates] ...................... 89 Article 15. Non-governmental organizations, community-based organizations and faith-based organizations ....................... 97 Article 16. Law clinics ...................................................... 98 Article 17. Paralegals ....................................................... 100 Article 18. Intermediaries .................................................. 105 Article 19. Obligations of the State to ensure effective provision of services by legal aid providers ................................. 105 Article 20. Duties of legal aid providers ..................................... 108 Article 21. Remuneration of legal aid providers .............................. 110 Chapter 4. The Legal Aid Authority ............................................. 117 Article 22. Establishment of the Legal Aid Authority ........................ 117 Article 23. Structure of the Legal Aid Authority ............................. 126 Article 24. Tenure of office of members of the Board of the Legal Aid Authority ......................................... 132 Article 25. Independence of the Legal Aid Authority ......................... 133 Article 26. Functions of the Legal Aid Authority ............................. 135 vii Article 27. Accreditation of legal aid providers ............................... 144 Article 28. Code of conduct for legal aid providers .......................... 146 Article 29. Reporting requirements ......................................... 153 Chapter 5. Procedures ....................................................... 157 Article 30. Early access to legal aid for individuals in custody ................. 157 Article 31. Legal aid application ............................................ 162 Article 32. Proceedings in court ............................................ 166 Article 33. Means test ...................................................... 169 Article 34. Determination of eligibility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 179 Article 35. Legal aid certifcate .............................................. 184 Article 36. Choice of legal aid provider ...................................... 185 Article 37. Conflict of interest .............................................. 186 Article 38. Suspension and termination of legal aid .......................... 188 Article 39. Change of legal aid provider ..................................... 190 Chapter 6. Financial provisions ................................................ 193 Article 40. Legal Aid Fund ................................................. 193 Article 41. Budget .......................................................... 200 Article 42. Exemption from court costs ..................................... 202 Chapter 7. Rules and regulations ............................................... 205 Article 43. Regulating authority ............................................ 205 Article 44. Legal aid regulations ............................................ 206 Chapter 8. Final provisions .................................................... 211 Article 45. Commencement ................................................ 211 Article 46. Offences ........................................................ 211 viii